Laura Dekker is free to go! She is back under her parents supervision. And accoding to the court well prepared to set off. She has an extended sail-plan and followed an survival course. Her plan is to set off in 2 weeks. So at least she is much better prepared then last year. Good luck to Laura!

She gets sympathy points from me because the idea of the courts seizing custody of a minor child from his or her parents over something like this galls my Libertarian point of view.

If she wants to go, and she is prepared to go, and her legal guardian assents to it, then I wish her all the luck in the world. Just because someone harbors concern over her safety, that doesn't trump her parent(s)' right to let her do as she wishes, within the bounds of the law. The law doesn't say anything about "no going around the world until you're 18."

And if she gets into trouble out there, she has as much of a right as anyone else to expect a rescue.

I'm not sure how far they'd get on that one. Presumably, the same kind of wack-a-doodle judges that took custody of her in the first place would decide whether or not to hear the case.

But the point is well taken. Scares the poop out of me, because you always think of the courts as your last-line of defense to get some kind of relief when someone is messing with you, or worse with your kids. Where do you go when the courts are doing the harassing?

The court ruling should have specified a more seaworthy vessel....
How cheap of a boat can I put my child into, before the risks become too great?
Other than that I have no problem with a well prepared, knowledgable 14 yo girl circumnavigating.

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